1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to optical filters and more particularly to an optical filter which transforms defined color light images produced by television sets, motion picture projectors, slide projectors, and the like, into an endless variety of color abstracts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Display devices, which produce illuminated color displays, are, of course, well known. Many of these display devices utilize a self-contained light source in combination with one or more rotating color wheels to produce a continuously changing color display. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,645 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,082. The color displays produced by such devices are, however, limited to the various color combinations produced by the rotating or movable color wheels. In addition, such devices are relatively costly to produce because of the variety of electrical parts including motors, switches, and the like, needed for their construction. Moreover, none of these prior art display devices known to applicant transforms a defined color image into one or more color abstracts.
In addition to the above prior art display device, there are display devices which produce color displays without the use of any self-contained light source or any movable parts. One such device is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,926 issued to Jordan. Specifically, Jordan discloses a design generator, which generates color designs of black and white moving pictures. The design generator comprises a stack of three aligned sheets. A pattern sheet has an opaque background with clear or transparent cut out portions. Two transparent colored sheets, which may also have cut out portions are aligned with the pattern sheet. The colors of the two sheets are selected so that both form a third distinct color. In operation the design generator is placed in a position to intercept light from a source or screen such as a television set or a motion picture projector. So intercepted, the intensity of the light passing through the cut out portion in the pattern sheet forms a flowing colored design and configuration when viewed through the design generator. While this design generator produces a colored display without the use of expensive electrical parts, the color display is limited to a variation of three separate colors resulting from the colored sheets and not from the image per se. Thus, even though the colored display is continuously changing, the variety of colors that can be displayed are limited. The overall effect is therefore not even as artistic as that produced by display devices which utilize movable color wheels. Furthermore, neither this device nor any of the other prior art display devices discussed above are capable of transforming color images, such as an image produced on a television screen, into a color abstract.
These disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention.